Airlines to revive Exeter and Birmingham routes

This is despite falling demand across the travel industry as coronavirus takes hold in Europe.

Blue Islands has also said it is planning to operate new services to Birmingham and Exeter from both Guernsey and Jersey.

Details will be announced soon, Blue Islands says.

The UK routes looked in doubt after the loss of Flybe, but tickets are now on sale for Aurigny’s new services, which start flying next week.

Chief executive Mark Darby said it was important to maintain the routes.

‘We believe that maintaining Guernsey’s connectivity is key and with the collapse of Flybe it is an unmissable opportunity for Aurigny to provide a valuable customer service while at the same time increasing our operation and improving our financial position.’

‘Given that we are able to do this with no increase in fixed costs and with aircraft, crew and a user-friendly booking system immediately available to us we hope that this will alleviate some travel concerns that islanders may have at this time.’

Birmingham Airport was Guernsey’s seventh most popular flight destination, resulting in more than 28,000 passenger movements last year. The airport is only 34 miles from East Midlands Airport – another Aurigny destination.

Mr Darby accepted that there was some crossover, the same as with Exeter and another Aurigny airport destination, Bristol.

But he said there was enough of a market for the new routes as well, especially given the large population centres in and around Birmingham.

He noted that was an important time of year for the tourism industry, with people planning their holidays, so the flights needed to be in place.

Birmingham saw an 18% drop in passengers last year.

Mr Darby said he was not concerned about the figures.

‘I think there was a lack of confidence in their [Flybe’s] service, as people thought Flybe would go bust,’ he said.

‘So the market took quite a drop.’

He said they monitored the services and often saw Flybe cancelling the services on the routes quite early if there were problem and this discouraged people from using the service.

‘Also, we are offering a direct service,’ he said.

‘In the past they went via Jersey and people do not like sitting on planes any longer than they have to.’

Coronavirus has been hitting the airline industry hard and Aurigny is no exception. It has already been cancelling some Gatwick service up until mid-April and that could be extended if demand remains low.

Against this backdrop, Mr Darby said it was not surprising to be launching the new routes.

‘It has been affecting business, but we are still expecting people to travel,’ he said.

He added that normally with services like this the airline would have launched them as daily services, but the limited service was in response to falling demand.

He added that Gatwick’s flying reduction was not just due to fewer people wanting to fly.

‘My great concern is that if coronavirus comes to the island and pilots and cabin crew, we need to have enough in numbers to keep going,’ he said.

‘By reducing the Gatwick service on a rolling basis, it frees up five crews and 10 cabin crews, so there is more slack in the system.’

The tickets are being sold up until November, along with Aurigny’s other services, and Mr Darby said they were permanent fixtures in their schedules.

The first new service to Birmingham will operate from Wednesday 11 March and the new Exeter service from Thursday 12 March.

It is planned that there will be one daily, late morning rotation to Birmingham, excluding Tuesday and Thursday. The service to Exeter will see a daily afternoon return service, except on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

The services could be expanded if the coronavirus situation changes and demand warrants it.